


Gazing Into Each Other's Eyes

by remanth



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Gazing into Each Other's Eyes, Jekyllstein, M/M, PWP, handjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 07:33:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7926076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remanth/pseuds/remanth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's always been something in Henry's eyes Victor was afraid to see. Until he wasn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gazing Into Each Other's Eyes

Victor didn’t exactly remember when he’d stopped being able to quite meet Henry’s eyes. It seemed to have happened gradually, over time. And the feeling of there being more than he was ready to face in Henry’s eyes had only increased when they’d met each other again here in London. Then again, Victor was quite sure there were many things in _his_ eyes that others wouldn’t want to see.

Not Henry. He stared and he stared and he stared. It was like he was a thirsting man drinking in all the water he was able every time they’d been together. Victor would glance up from his hands or his tea or the lab equipment in front of him and see Henry’s eyes all but boring into him. And they’d never wavered, not the few times he’d managed to meet those eyes. They’d never looked away.

Many times, Victor wondered just what it was in Henry’s eyes that he was afraid to see. Because he was afraid. He was almost terrified, even though Henry was his best friend. He knew it wasn’t disgust or shame or contempt. Henry would never feel those for him. Even after knowing what Victor had done, how he’d finally beaten Death and how it had gone so horribly wrong, all that Henry had shown him was compassion and a shared sorrow for him. But even that wasn’t what Victor was afraid of.

“Here we are, just as promised,” Henry said, breaking into Victor’s reverie. They were in Victor’s lab and Henry was working on making more of the serum they’d originally intended to use on Lily. That hadn’t quite come to fruition. Henry held up a beaker, his eyes shining with triumph. “This should be enough for about a third of the more violent patients at Bedlam.”

“That’s good, that’s very good,” Victor said, stepping closer to take the beaker from Henry’s hands. He diligently avoided Henry’s eyes while he did it. “We should start soon. The sooner we can treat the patients, the sooner they can be healed and leave. This truly is wonderful, Henry.”

“Thank you, old boy,” Henry smiled, though there was a shadow in his eyes. He’d noticed lately that Victor wouldn’t look at him. When he did, his eyes were always focused just over his shoulder or something like that. He never met his eyes. And it made Henry wonder why. “Though it was a joint effort. I couldn’t have gotten this far without your knowledge of electricity.”

He stepped closer to Victor and studied the beaker in the other man’s hands. He felt a flash of amusement and sadness when Victor sidled a little further away. It was a familiar feeling, something he felt nearly every time he was in Victor’s presence. If only he could let go of his feelings. He knew the love wouldn’t be returned. And it was only when he was alone that he allowed himself to wonder what it might be like were Victor to love him. He stepped closer again, close enough that he could smell the green and earthy scent of the oakmoss cologne Victor wore.

Once again, Victor sidled away. By now, he was within arm’s reach of a table and he set the beaker with the precious liquid inside carefully down on the table. It wouldn’t do to ruin their first batch of it just after it had been created. He looked over at Henry, meeting his eyes for a couple of heartbeats. That undefinable _thing_ he was afraid of was present in Henry’s eyes and Victor quickly looked away. He stepped to the side, trying to go around Henry. He didn’t have a destination in mind, just a need to get away. It felt like there was a sudden cliff before his feet and any moment now, he would fall off.

But Henry met him stride for stride again. This time, when Victor met his eyes, he didn’t look away. He felt like he was falling, the cliff crumbling away beneath his feet. But he couldn’t look away anymore. Words hovered in the back of his mind, words that he’d felt for so long, words that he’d seen in Henry’s eyes. But the fear held them back, kept them from being fully heard. They stood frozen for several silent heartbeats, Victor wondering if he was going to be dashed on the rocks below that cliff or learn to fly.

This time, when they moved, it was Henry first. He stepped forward, into Victor’s space. Victor stepped back automatically, still unable to look away from Henry’s eyes. They moved, step by step by step, until Victor was stopped by the wall at his back. And still, that undefinable thing ( _is it love_ a quiet voice whispered in Victor’s mind that he quickly stilled) still bright in his eyes. They stood silent again, Victor’s breath heaving in his chest though no sound came out of his mouth. It was as if the whole world had paused in this moment.

Then, again, Henry broke the stillness by moving first. His hand lifted slowly, ever so slowly, until it came to rest against Victor’s cheek. His fingers were warm and soft, though with callouses and old burns that marked his time in the lab. Without knowing why he did, or even consciously allowing himself to, Victor leaned into that gentle touch. And just like that, his fear was broken. He blinked, feeling like it had been ages since the last time he’d done so, and let himself look into Henry’s eyes without fear and without reservation.

“What do you see?” Henry whispered, more breath than voice. “What do you see now that you finally meet my eyes?”

“Something I wouldn’t let myself see before,” Victor replied, his eyes widening a little at the ease with which he could now. His own hand came up and rested on Henry’s waist, fingers curling almost possessively into the fabric of the waistcoat. “Something I should have seen before. Love. It’s been there for as long as I can remember.”

“It has,” Henry nodded, stroking his thumb over Victor’s cheekbone. “Now that you see it, what will you do, Victor? You have but to say the word and this moment will be forgotten.”

“Is that something you want?” Victor asked curiously. “Or could even stand?”

“I have accepted untenable things before, old boy,” Henry replied dryly, chuckling deep in his throat. “So if need be, I can accept this as well. It goes without saying, I think, that I would rather I didn’t have to.”

“I don’t want to forget,” Victor finally said after a long silence filled with tension. “Not this time.”

Henry smiled at him then, a smile radiant with relief and joy. His eyes crinkled at the corners and Victor couldn’t help but smile back. Now that he allowed himself to see, he didn’t want to look away. He pulled Henry a little closer, wrapping his arm around his waist. When Henry’s hand slipped down from his face to his chest, Victor felt a thrill race down his spine. It made him shiver and ache. Henry watched his face carefully, committing it to memory all over again. And his hand slipped lower.

“Will you let me, Victor?” Henry asked quietly when Victor gasped. His hand rested just above the waistband of Victor’s pants, the fingers splayed out over his stomach. He ached for the feel of skin to skin. 

“Yes,” was all Victor could say in reply. Both hands now curled into the fabric of Henry’s waistcoat, holding him close even as they trembled. But he wanted this. Wanted the man in front of him. “Yes.”

“You have but to say a word and I will stop,” Henry said, stroking his hand across Victor’s stomach. “Just one word, old boy.”

At Victor’s nod, Henry’s hand moved to his waistband. His fingers teased and stroked, giving Victor time enough to be comfortable with his hand on him. Then, Henry slowly unfastened the button and untucked Victor’s shirt. The suspenders Victor wore were the only thing keeping his pants from falling straight to the floor. Not that Henry would have had a problem with that. Now was the feel of skin on skin, the pads of his fingers resting gently on the skin of Victor’s stomach. He breathed heavily, his stomach rising and falling with the breaths. But it wasn’t fear this time. It was desire and want and need, his eyes dark with it when Henry met them again.

Still, Victor had not said a word nor had he dropped his eyes. The only sounds he made were soft gasps or quiet moans as Henry moved. When Henry’s hand splayed out over his bare stomach, an exhaled _oh_ joined the noises Victor was making. He let go of Henry’s waist with one hand, draping it over Henry’s hand on his stomach. His fingers traced the shape of Henry’s for a few moments, enjoying the touch. Then, Victor slid Henry’s hand down his stomach and into the gap left by his undone pants.

“Please,” Victor murmured, letting go and reaching up to cup Henry’s face. He waited until their eyes met again before shifting his hips up into Henry’s hand. “Please.” 

Henry nodded and stroked the skin just above where Victor wanted him to go. He enjoyed seeing the expressions on Victor’s face and hearing the gasps and moans. He’d imagined something like this for so long that it was almost surreal to actually be here. But the reality was better than anything he’d imagined, the warmth of Victor’s skin under his fingers grounding him to this moment. And when he moved lower, wrapping his fingers around Victor and gliding from the root to the head, he drank in the quiet curses that fell from Victor’s lips. 

They still hadn’t looked away yet, their eyes locked on each other. Henry’s eyes were full of love and wonder and a thankful disbelief while Victor’s were full of that same love and a wondering discovery. Henry continued to stroke his hand over Victor’s rapidly hardening length, teasing at the underside with his nails. Victor couldn’t stop the gasps or moans now, his mouth open as he leaned back against the wall to try and hold himself up. The feel of Henry’s hand on him was sinfully delicious and was making his knees weak. And when he sped up, tightening his grip, Victor was startled into a scream that dribbled off into a debauched moan. 

“May I kiss you?” Henry asked, leaning in but leaving plenty of space between them. His eyes flicked down to Victor’s lips then back up to his eyes. Hunger was plain in them as was the need thrumming through his veins. “Will you let me, Victor?” 

“Yes,” Victor gasped, tilting his head upward expectantly. “Yes, please.” 

Henry closed the last of the space between them and kissed Victor. The kiss was light at first, gentle, but it didn’t stay that way. With a sound that was a mix between a moan and a growl, Victor opened his mouth and licked over Henry’s lips. His hand threaded through Henry’s hair, holding him in place. That was all it took before Henry returned the favor, kissing Victor deeply and pushing him back harder against the wall. They kept their eyes open throughout the kiss as long as they could, watching the other. But it could only last so long and finally, Henry’s eyes slipped closed then Victor’s a moment later. They traded breaths when they leaned back for a few moments then dived back into kissing. 

Throughout the whole time, Henry’s hand never stopped moving. He learned what motions made Victor gasp and what made him moan deep in his throat. He learned when to speed up or slow down based on the movements of Victor’s hips and the heaving breaths feathering over his lips. And he learned that the depth of love he’d had for Victor before this was as nothing compared to the love that grew at actually having him in his arms. At making him fall apart with his hands and lips and the sheer emotion in his eyes. 

As Victor sped toward his orgasm, propelled by Henry’s clever fingers, he couldn’t keep their mouths together to kiss. Instead, he leaned his head back against the wall and just watched Henry. It felt like he couldn’t get enough air as warmth pooled in his belly and spread throughout his body. He panted hard, mouth wide open and still tasting of Henry’s lips. 

“Will you let yourself go, Victor?” Henry asked, using everything he’d learned in the last few minutes to make Victor breathless and mindless with want. Their eyes met again and neither could look away. “Will you fall for me?” 

“Yes,” Victor replied, one last time. He shuddered hard, his orgasm rolling through his body. The only thing that kept him anchored and his mind from whiting out was the grip he had on Henry’s hair and his waist coat. 

While Victor rode through his orgasm, Henry murmured to him in quiet words of love and praise and adoration. He kept stroking, gentler and slower, feeling each shudder and tremble passing through Victor’s body. A flash of fierce love and joy burned in his belly. They never broke eye contact even when Victor slumped against the wall, completely spent. 

“Beautiful,” Henry whispered, pressing a kiss to Victor’s lips. 

“I agree,” Victor replied, smiling and pulling Henry down to kiss him again. His other hand moved the front of Henry’s pants and his smile turned devilish. “Will you let me, Henry?” 

“Yes,” Henry replied, a thrill running down his spine at this reversal. But it was everything he wanted and he would fall just as easily as Victor had. His lips curved up into a smirk to match Victor’s. “Yes, Victor, please.” 


End file.
